Arjun Kapoor

Arjun Kapoor (pronounced born 26 June 1985) is an Indian actor who appears in Bollywood films. He is the son of film producers Boney Kapoor and Mona Shourie Kapoor. After working as an assistant director and associate producer on several films he made his acting debut with Habib Faisal's romantic drama Ishaqzaade (2012), for which he was nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut. In 2014, he starred in the action film Gunday and the romance 2 States, both of which earned over ₹1 billion (US$15 million) worldwide. In addition to acting in film, Kapoor has hosted the 16th IIFA Awards ceremony in 2015 and the seventh season of the television reality show Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi in 2016.
Early life and background
Kapoor was born on 26 June 1985 in Mumbai, Maharashtra to the Hindi film producer, Boney Kapoor and the entrepreneur Mona Shourie Kapoor. He is the grandson of filmmaker Surinder Kapoor. He is the nephew of actors Anil Kapoor, Sanjay Kapoor and producer Sandeep Marwah, and the first-cousin of actress Sonam Kapoor, actor Mohit Marwah and producer Rhea Kapoor. He has a sister Anshula Kapoor. The actress Sridevi is his stepmother. When asked in an interview about his father's second marriage, Kapoor said: "When we were kids, it was difficult. But what can you do? How long will you complain? You have to accept what is, take it on your chin, and move on."
Kapoor was educated at the Arya Vidya Mandir school in Mumbai, which he attended till his twelfth grade. After failing his twelfth grade examinations, he quit his studies. In his teens and early twenties, Kapoor suffered from obesity and approximately weighed 140 kg; he later said that due to his condition, he used to be "sloppy, grumpy" and "under-confident".

Born

26 June 1985 (age 30)
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Occupation

Actor, assistant director, associate producer

Years active

2012–present

Parent

Boney Kapoor (father)
Mona Shourie Kapoor (mother)

Career
Kapoor's first job in the film industry was as an assistant director on Nikhil Advani's Kal Ho Naa Ho in 2003. He also assisted Advani on his next directorial Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute to Love (2007), and worked as an associate producer on two of his father's productions—No Entry (2005) and Wanted (2009). Kapoor was then signed on for a three-film contract with Yash Raj Films, a leading production company in India.
Kapoor made his acting debut in 2012 with Habib Faisal's crime drama Ishaqzaade opposite Parineeti Chopra, a critical and commercial success. Kapoor's role was that of Parma Chauhan, a chauvinistic brat who seduces the daughter of a rival family. Taran Adarsh of the entertainment portal Bollywood Hungama wrote of his performance: "Arjun Kapoor makes a fantastic debut. He has a peerless body language and a 'I-don't-give-a-damn' kind of an approach in the movie. He comes across as fiery and rustic and at the same time self-assured and assertive in this reckless and intrepid character". Kapoor then portrayed dual roles in Atul Sabharwal's crime thriller Aurangzeb (2013), a commercial failure. Critic Rohit Vats of CNN-IBN said that Kapoor was successful in "conveying the cynicism of his role" but criticised his "over-the-top" approach in certain sequences.
In 2014, Kapoor's first two releases were highly successful. He first played opposite Ranveer Singh and Priyanka Chopra in Gunday,

an action thriller from director Ali Abbas Zafar. The film tells the fictional story of two coal bandits (played by Kapoor and Singh) who rise up to become the most powerful goons of Calcutta in the 1980s. Writing for India Today, Rohit Khilnani attributed the success of the film to the chemistry between Kapoor and Singh. With a worldwide revenue of over ₹1 billion (US$15 million), Gunday proved to be a box-office success.

Off-screen work
Kapoor is a celebrity endorser for various brands and products, including Hrithik Roshan’s ISL FC Pune City. In 2015, he supported the Earth Hour. Philips also roped him as the brand ambassador for its ‘Male Grooming’ business. He is also a brand ambassador for Flying Machine and Royal Stag along with Ranveer Singh. Kapoor co-hosted the IIFA Awards ceremony in 2015 with Singh.